Dad's in the Kitchen

At least at first, I envisioned this blog to be mostly about what I have become as passionate about as any other hobby/diversion/activity: cooking (neck and neck with my first love, sports, but hey, I can admit it, my jump shot ain't what it used to be. In fact, there seems to be a direct correlation between my disintegrating athletic prowess and my increasing ability to practice the culinary arts). Through my job experiences, I've had the honor and privilege of working with and befriending some of the most talented chefs in the craft. Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Roy Yamaguchi, & Cat Cora are names you might recognize. But there's also Scott Conant (NYC), Tim Love (DFW), Michelle Bernstein (Miami), & Zach Gross (TB), whom I am proud to call friends, and who are more than able to carry the culinary torch into the next generation right now (and have the chops in the kitchen, and the telegenic personalities to match, I might add).
Anyway, I digress. Their talent has fueled my passion for spending time in the kitchen, and what started for me as labor has blossomed into a labor of love. I take great pride and comfort knowing that I am able to provide for my family on another level. I smile when I hear my son say "Dad's in the kitchen..." I hold dear a quote I learned from Art Smith (Oprah's personal chef -- am I name-dropping too much? OK, at least I'm aware of it!), who said, "Feeding each other is one of the most sacred acts we as humans share."
With that said, I will be setting forth a number of my favorite recipes that I have tested through the years, and collected over time: from family and friends, to the cook books I collect, to magazines, web sites, and, yes, my foodie mentors mentioned earlier in the posting.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them, and my family did eating them...